JP2011063167A - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering wheel having the small number of parts and making assembly work easier and efficient. <P>SOLUTION: The steering wheel includes: a steering wheel body 2 provided with a stationary contact 25; an airbag module 3 provided with a moving contact; a coil spring 6 biasing the airbag module 3; a horn switch mechanism; at least one attaching pin 5 movably attached to the steering wheel body 2 to hold the coil spring 6; and an assembling means directly assembling the steering wheel body 2 and the airbag module 3. The attaching pin 5 is provided with: a supporting portion supporting the airbag module 3 from the reverse surface side; a shaft portion vertically provided from the supporting portion to be inserted into the inside of the coil spring 6; and an attaching portion formed at the end of the shaft portion and attached to the steering wheel body 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel of an automobile or the like provided with an airbag module and a horn switch device.

  Usually, a steering wheel of an automobile or the like is provided with a horn switch mechanism for operating a horn and generating a horn sound. In addition, it has become common to equip the steering wheel with an airbag device to ensure the safety of the driver in the event of a car collision.

  In this case, the airbag device on the driver's seat side is, for example, an airbag module containing a folded airbag, an inflator, or the like via a movable plate (horn plate) for operating a horn. By being attached to a boss part (core metal part) arranged at the center part, the steering wheel is incorporated. Therefore, when the driver presses the upper surface (driver seat side surface) of the airbag module, the movable plate moves and the horn switch mechanism operates, so that a horn sound can be produced.

A steering wheel provided with such a horn switch mechanism is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-331657 (Patent Document 1).
As shown in FIG. 7, the steering wheel 61 described in Patent Document 1 is movable in the contact / separation direction with respect to the steering wheel main body 62 having a fixed plate 63 disposed at the center and the fixed plate 63. A movable plate 64, an airbag unit 66 formed in the fixed plate 63 and mounted in the mounting hole 65, and a cover body 67 attached to cover the movable plate 64 and the airbag unit 66 from above. ing.

  Further, between the fixed plate 63 and the movable plate 64, a connecting member 68 that connects the fixed plate 63 and the movable plate 64, and a biasing member 69 that biases the movable plate 64 away from the fixed plate 63. Is arranged. In Patent Document 1, the airbag unit 66 and the cover body 67 are separately configured. However, for example, the airbag unit 66 can be accommodated in the cover body 67 to configure an airbag module. is there.

  In the steering wheel 61, at the four corners of the fixed plate 63, cylindrical portions 70 to which the connecting member 68 can be screwed are projected. Cylindrical bosses 71 for accommodating the urging members 69 are projected from four locations close to the cylindrical portion 70. An electrode is provided at the center of each boss 71.

  The movable plate 64 is made of a metal material, and has a pair of arm portions 64a arranged in parallel, and a connecting portion 64b that connects between one end portions of the arm portions 64a. Further, insertion holes 64c through which connection bolts 68a described later of the connection member 68 are inserted are formed at both ends of each arm portion 64a. A holding hole 64d for fitting two holding claws (described later) of each urging member 69 is formed at a position close to each insertion hole 64c.

  The connecting member 68 includes a connecting bolt 68a having a male screw portion formed at the tip thereof, and a washer 68b. .

  The urging member 69 holds the coil spring 69a between the coil spring 69a that urges the movable plate 64, a first receiving seat 69b that includes a shaft portion that holds the coil spring 69a, and the first receiving seat 69b. A second receiving seat 69c, and a conductor 69d accommodated in the shaft portion of the first receiving seat 69b. In this case, the conductor 69d is inserted and held in the shaft portion such that both ends thereof are exposed from the shaft portion of the first seat 69b. The second receiving seat 69c is formed with two holding claws that fit into the holding holes 64d of the connecting portion 64b.

  When assembling such a steering wheel 61 of Patent Document 1, first, the coil spring 69a is held on the shaft portion of the first seat 69b of the urging member 69, and the conductor 69d is accommodated in the coaxial portion. The second seat 69c is engaged with the tip of the part. As a result, an urging member 69 is obtained in which the coil spring 69a is held in a compressed state between the first receiving seat 69b and the second receiving seat 69c. The urging member 69 is held by the movable plate 64 by fitting the locking claw disposed on the second receiving seat 69 c into the holding hole 64 d of the movable plate 64.

  Next, the first receiving seat 69 b of the urging member 69 held by the movable plate 64 is inserted into the boss 71 of the fixed plate 63. Subsequently, the connecting bolt 68 a of the connecting member 68 is inserted into the insertion hole 64 c of the movable plate 64 through the washer 68 b and is further screwed to the cylindrical portion 70 of the fixed plate 63. Thereby, the movable plate 64 is connected to the fixed plate 63 so as to be movable in the contact / separation direction.

  At this time, although the lower end of the conductor 69d of the biasing member 69 is in contact with the electrode of the fixed plate 63, a gap is provided between the upper end of the conductor 69d and the movable plate 64, and the horn The switch mechanism circuit is kept open.

  Thereafter, the airbag unit 66 is attached to the attachment hole 65 of the fixed plate 63 and the cover body 67 is attached to the upper surface side of the movable plate 64 via a support member (not shown), whereby the steering wheel 61 of Patent Document 1 is assembled. It is done.

  In the steering wheel 61 assembled as described above, when the cover body 67 is pushed toward the fixed plate 63, the coil spring 69a is further compressed, and the movable plate 64 moves in a direction approaching the fixed plate 63. It contacts the upper end of the conductor 69d. Thereby, since the circuit of a horn switch mechanism closes and a horn is operated, a horn sound can be sounded.

  According to Patent Document 1, the steering wheel 61 as described above can be assembled because the movable plate 64 can be connected to the fixed plate 63 while the biasing member 69 is held by the movable plate 64 in the assembly process. It is possible to prevent the coil spring 69a from being detached during the operation or the coil spring 69a from being displaced, and the assembly workability is excellent.

  Further, the steering wheel 61 is configured such that one end of the conductor 69d accommodated in the biasing member 69 is in contact with the fixed plate 63, and the other end of the conductor 69d is pushed by the cover body 67 being pushed. By contacting the movable plate 64, the horn switch mechanism is operated. For this reason, according to Patent Document 1, it is possible to prevent a contact failure due to a positional deviation between the contacts of the movable plate 64 and the fixed plate 63.

JP 2006-331657 A

  As described above, although the steering wheel 61 of Patent Document 1 can improve the assembly workability, in addition to the steering wheel main body 62 and the cover (including the airbag module), the movable plate 64 and a plurality of components are used. Therefore, there is a problem that the number of parts constituting the steering wheel is large.

  Particularly in recent years, parts and devices arranged in automobiles have been increasingly requested from the viewpoint of cost reduction to reduce the number of parts and to simplify and improve the assembly process. For this reason, the steering wheel is also provided with an airbag device and a horn switch mechanism, and the number of parts is further reduced as compared with, for example, the steering wheel 61 of Patent Document 1, and the assembly work is more easily and efficiently performed. There was a need to develop technology that would enable

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and a specific object thereof is to provide a steering wheel that has a small number of parts and can be easily and efficiently assembled. There is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a steering wheel provided by the present invention has, as a basic configuration, a steering wheel body provided with a fixed contact, and an air arranged so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed contact. The fixed contact includes a bag module, a coil spring that urges the airbag module in a direction away from the fixed contact, and a movable contact disposed on the airbag module side against the urge of the coil spring. A steering wheel having a horn switch mechanism that activates a horn when being brought into contact with the steering wheel. The steering wheel holds the coil spring and is movably attached to the steering wheel body so as to be movable in the contact / separation direction. Direct assembly of the pin, the steering wheel body and the airbag module The engaging pin includes a support portion that supports the airbag module from the back surface side, and a shaft portion that is suspended from the support portion and is inserted into the coil spring. The main feature is that it includes an engaging portion that is formed at the tip of the shaft portion and engages with the steering wheel body.

  In the steering wheel of the present invention, the assembling means is integrated with a spring wire attached to one member of the airbag module and the steering wheel body, and integrated with the other member, and the spring wire It is preferable that it is comprised by the hook part which can be latched to.

Further, in the present invention, a concave portion or a convex portion for positioning the airbag module is arranged on a support surface of the support portion in the engaging pin, and the concave portion or the convex portion of the support portion is arranged on the back surface of the airbag module. It is preferable that the convex part or recessed part fitted with the convex part is arranged.
In this case, it is particularly preferable that the concave portion or the convex portion of the support portion in the engaging pin is arranged coaxially with the shaft portion.

  In the steering wheel of the present invention, the engaging pin for holding the coil spring is engaged with the steering wheel so as to be movable toward and away from the steering wheel, and at the same time the airbag module is assembled to the steering wheel body by the assembling means. Supported by anchoring pins.

  That is, the steering wheel of the present invention is configured with a smaller number of parts than the conventional one without using a movable plate or a connecting member arranged on the conventional steering wheel. Further, when assembling the steering wheel, the engaging pin is engaged with the steering wheel main body, and then the airbag module is mounted on the supporting portion of the engaging pin and directly assembled to the steering wheel main body by the assembling means. The assembling work can be performed more easily and easily than in the past.

  As described above, the steering wheel of the present invention can be provided at a low cost by greatly reducing the manufacturing cost because the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the related art and the assembly work can be easily and easily performed. it can.

  In the steering wheel of the present invention, the assembling means is integrated with the spring wire attached to one member of the airbag module and the steering wheel main body, and is integrated with the other member and locked to the spring wire. And a possible hook part. Thereby, an airbag module can be reliably assembled | attached to a steering wheel main body.

  Furthermore, in the steering wheel of the present invention, a concave portion (or a convex portion) for positioning the airbag module is arranged on the support surface of the support portion of the engaging pin, and the concave portion formed in the support portion on the back surface of the airbag module. A convex portion (or a concave portion) that fits with the (or convex portion) is arranged. Thereby, the airbag module can be stably assembled at a predetermined position with respect to the steering wheel main body without causing a positional shift.

  In this case, the concave portion (or convex portion) of the support portion in the engaging pin is arranged coaxially with the shaft portion of the engaging pin. Accordingly, when the airbag module is assembled to the steering wheel body or removed from the steering wheel body, the assembly or removal of the airbag module can be performed more stably along the contact / separation direction. Assembling property and detaching property can be improved.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state by which the steering wheel of this invention was decomposed | disassembled. It is a perspective view which shows the engaging pin used for the steering wheel. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the state which engaged the engaging pin to the steering wheel main body. It is the IV-IV sectional view taken on the line shown in FIG. It is a principal part perspective view which shows a part of back surface of an airbag module. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the cross section in the rear-end part of the boss | hub part in a steering wheel. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state by which the conventional steering wheel was decomposed | disassembled.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various modifications can be made as long as it has substantially the same configuration as the present invention and has the same effects. Is possible. For example, the shape, dimensions, and the like of the steering wheel main body and the airbag module can be arbitrarily changed depending on the vehicle type of the automobile in which the steering wheel is used.

  Here, FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the steering wheel according to the present embodiment is disassembled, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an engaging pin used in the steering wheel.

  A steering wheel 1 according to this embodiment includes a steering wheel main body 2, an airbag module 3 disposed on the upper surface side of the steering wheel main body 2, a horn switch mechanism (not shown) that operates a horn, and a rear surface of the steering wheel main body 2. The lower cover 4 that covers the (lower surface) side, three engagement pins 5 that are engaged with the steering wheel body 2, a coil spring 6 that urges the airbag module 3, the steering wheel body 2, and the airbag module 3 And an assembling means capable of directly assembling.

  The steering wheel body 2 includes an annular rim portion 20a, a boss portion 20b disposed at a substantially central portion of the rim portion 20a, and three spoke portions 20c that connect the rim portion 20a and the boss portion 20b. It is configured. In the present embodiment, when the steering wheel body 2 is viewed from the front, the three spoke portions 20c are arranged in a substantially T shape.

  In this case, when the driver sees the steering wheel 1 from the front, the direction in which the two spoke portions 20c are linearly arranged when the steering wheel 1 is in the neutral position is the left-right direction, and is orthogonal thereto. The direction in which the single spoke portion 20c is disposed in the front-rear direction is referred to as the front-rear direction. Further, the front side direction when the driver sees the steering wheel 1 from the front side is defined as the upper side, and the rear side direction is defined as the lower side.

  The steering wheel body 2 is formed by forming a core metal 21a as a skeleton using a metal material such as iron, aluminum, and magnesium, and further foaming the rim portion 20a and the spoke portion 20c of the core metal 21a. It is manufactured by performing RIM molding of synthetic resin such as urethane to form the skin portion 21b. Further, in order to improve the merchantability of the steering wheel 1, genuine leather can be wound around the skin portion or decorated on the steering wheel body 2.

  On the lower surface (back surface) side of the boss portion 20b in the steering wheel body 2, a fitting portion 22 that fits on a steering shaft (not shown) is disposed, and this fitting portion 22 faces the steering wheel 1 in front (upper surface). When viewed from above, it is provided at the center of the rim portion 20a. On the other hand, on the upper surface side of the boss portion 20b, three through holes 23 for inserting the engaging pins 5 and three hook portions 24 for locking wires 31c described later disposed in the airbag module 3 are provided. A cylindrical fixed contact 25 is arranged.

  The through-hole 23 and the hook part 24 which are formed in the boss part 20b are arranged one by one in the vicinity of the connecting part to which the spoke part 20c is connected. In this case, each through hole 23 has a first inner diameter portion 23a having an inner diameter into which the coil spring 6 can be inserted and an inner diameter smaller than the first inner diameter portion 23a, as shown in FIG. The engaging pin 5 will be described later on a step surface 23e formed between the second inner diameter portion 23b that can be inserted through the second inner diameter portion 23b and the second inner diameter portion 23b. And a third inner diameter portion 23c to which the engaging portion 53 is engaged. In this case, a taper is formed on the upper surface side of the boss portion 20b in the second inner diameter portion 23b so that the engaging pin 5 can be easily inserted.

  Each hook portion 24 arranged on the boss portion 20b includes a base end portion 24a fixed (or integrated) on the upper surface of the boss portion 20b, and a standing portion 24b standing upward from the base end portion 24a. It has a bent portion 24c that can be bent from the upper end of the standing portion 24b toward the steering center axis and can be hooked with the wire 31c. In the present invention, the number and positions of the through holes 23, the hook portions 24, and the fixed contacts 25 provided in the boss portion 20b are not particularly limited, depending on the size and shape of the steering wheel. Can be changed arbitrarily.

  The airbag module 3 according to the present embodiment includes a bag-shaped airbag body folded in a predetermined procedure, a metal base plate 31 on which the airbag body is placed, and an inflation gas to generate an inside of the airbag body. An inflator 32 to be supplied to the airbag, a ring retainer for holding the airbag main body and the inflator 32 on the base plate 31, and a module cover 33 made of a synthetic resin that covers these members and is fitted to the base plate 31. .

  Since the airbag main body, the inflator 32, and the ring retainer in the airbag module 3 of the present embodiment are the same as those used in the related art, detailed description of these members will be omitted. The illustration of the airbag body and the ring retainer is also omitted.

  The base plate 31 of the present embodiment includes a substantially flat substrate portion 31a and a peripheral portion 31b arranged around the substrate portion 31a, and on the lower surface (back surface) side of the peripheral portion 31b. A wire 31c made of a spring wire material capable of hooking the hook portion 24 provided on the steering wheel body 2 is held.

  A circular inflator insertion hole 31d for inserting the inflator 32 and a bolt insertion hole 31e for inserting a stud bolt arranged in the ring retainer are formed in the base plate portion 31a of the base plate 31. . Further, a step is provided between the substrate portion 31a and the peripheral portion 31b of the base plate 31 as shown in FIGS.

  On the upper surface side of the peripheral portion 31b of the base plate 31, there are an insertion groove 31f into which the peripheral wall portion 33a of the module cover 33 can be inserted, and a plurality of elastically deformable engaging claws 31g engaged with the peripheral wall portion 33a. Is provided. In this case, the peripheral wall 33 a of the module cover 33 is formed with a plurality of claw hole portions 33 b for inserting the engaging claw portions 31 g, and the engaging claw portions 31 g of the base plate 31 are formed on the module cover 33. When the peripheral wall portion 33a is inserted all the way into the insertion groove 31f, the peripheral wall portion 33a is configured to enter the claw hole portion 33b of the peripheral wall portion 33a.

  Further, on the back surface side of the peripheral portion 31b of the base plate 31, a plurality of wire holding portions 31h for holding the wires 31c, an accommodation hole 31i that can accommodate the hook portion 24 of the steering wheel body 2, and a fastening pin 5, a positioning convex portion 31j that fits into a positioning concave portion 51a, which will be described later, and a columnar movable contact 31k that is suspended at a position corresponding to the fixed contact 25 are disposed.

  In this case, the wire holding portion 31h is provided at a predetermined position so that the wire 31c can be stably held and fixed by using the elasticity of the wire 31c. The accommodation hole 31 i is provided at a position corresponding to the position of the hook portion 24 provided in the steering wheel body 2.

  The wire 31c arranged on the back side of the base plate 31 is made to go around the substrate portion 31a of the base plate 31 by a plurality of wire holding portions 31h and a part of the wire 31c is along the inside of the accommodation hole 31i. Is held fixed. Further, as will be described later, when the hook portion 24 of the steering wheel main body 2 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 31i of the base plate 31, the wire 31c is provided with a bent portion 24c of the hook portion 24 in a part of the wire 31c. It is arranged so that it can be hooked.

  That is, in the steering wheel 1 of the present embodiment, the steering wheel body 2 and the airbag module 3 are configured by the hook portion 24 provided in the steering wheel body 2 and the wire 31c disposed on the back surface side of the base plate 31 in the airbag module 3. Assembling means that can be assembled directly is configured.

  In the present embodiment, the case where one wire 31c is arranged so as to go around the substrate portion 31a of the base plate 31 is described. However, in the present invention, for example, a plurality of short wires are used. It is also possible to constitute the assembling means by holding and fixing at positions corresponding to the hook portions 24 of the steering wheel body 2.

  The positioning convex portions 31j formed on the back surface side of the base plate 31 are each formed in a frustum shape having a predetermined height dimension downward. Further, the positioning convex portions 31j are arranged at respective positions corresponding to the three through holes 23 formed in the steering wheel main body 2.

  The horn switch mechanism of the present embodiment is configured such that when the fixed contact 25 arranged on the steering wheel main body 2 and the movable contact 31k arranged on the lower surface (back surface) of the base plate 31 of the airbag module 3 contact each other, It is configured to sound a horn (horn sound) by closing and operating the horn device.

  The lower cover 4 of the present embodiment is formed by injection molding a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene into a predetermined shape. The lower cover 4 has a fitting portion (not shown) that is fitted to the boss portion 20 b of the steering wheel main body 2 by being fitted from the lower surface side of the steering wheel main body 2.

  The engaging pin 5 of the present embodiment is made of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal, and as shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. And an engaging portion 53 formed at the lower end. The support portion 51 of the engaging pin 5 has a radius larger than the outer diameter of the coil spring 6.

  Further, a positioning concave portion 51 a into which a positioning convex portion 31 j provided on the back surface of the base plate 31 can be fitted is formed in the central portion on the upper surface side of the support portion 51. The positioning recess 51a is formed coaxially with the shaft portion 52 of the engaging pin 5, thereby stably positioning the airbag module 3 when assembling the steering wheel 1, as will be described later. In addition, the airbag module 3 can be stably urged upward by the coil spring 6 when the steering wheel 1 is assembled. Further, when removing the airbag module 3 from the steering wheel body 2, the airbag module 3 can be stably covered by the coil spring 6, so that the airbag module 3 can be removed stably. .

  The shaft portion 52 suspended from the support portion 51 has a first shaft portion 52a formed to have an outer diameter substantially the same as or smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring 6, and a first shaft portion 52a via a step portion. And a second shaft portion 52b formed to have a small outer diameter, and the first and second shaft portions 52a and 52b can be inserted into the coil spring 6.

  In this case, the outer diameter of the first shaft portion 52a in the engaging pin 5 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first inner diameter portion 23a in the through hole 23 formed in the boss portion 20b, and the second inner diameter in the through hole 23. It is set larger than the inner diameter of the portion 23b. On the other hand, the second shaft portion 52b has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the second inner diameter portion 23b in the through hole 23 formed in the boss portion 20b. Moreover, since the lower end part of the second shaft part 52b is bifurcated, the second shaft part 52b is configured such that each branched lower end part can be easily elastically deformed inward.

  The engaging portion 53 of the engaging pin 5 is formed in a hook shape at each tip (lower end) of the second shaft portion 52b divided into two forks. The engaging portion 53 can be inserted through the second inner diameter portion 23b of the through hole 23 formed in the boss portion 20b by the second shaft portion 52b being curved inward, and after passing through the second inner diameter portion 23b. The second shaft portion 52b is configured to be able to be engaged with a step surface 23e formed between the second inner diameter portion 23b and the third inner diameter portion 23c of the through hole 23 by elastic return. Yes.

  The coil spring 6 of the present embodiment includes a step surface 23d formed between the first inner diameter portion 23a and the second inner diameter portion 23b in the through hole 23, and a lower surface (back surface) of the support portion 51 in the engaging pin 5. The airbag module 3 can be biased upward when the airbag module 3 is assembled to the steering wheel body 2 (see FIG. 6).

  As will be described later, the coil spring 6 holds the coil spring 6 on the engaging pin 5 and when the engaging pin 5 is temporarily fixed to the through hole 23 of the steering wheel body 2 (see FIG. 3). The coil spring 6 is compressed between the step surface 23d formed between the first inner diameter portion 23a and the second inner diameter portion 23b in the through hole 23 and the lower surface (back surface) of the support portion 51 in the engaging pin 5. It has a length dimension so that it can be clamped in a state of being pressed. In particular, in this embodiment, when the engaging pin 5 is temporarily fixed to the through hole 23 of the steering wheel main body 2, the coil spring 6 is long enough to be held in a compressed state of 1 mm or more with respect to its free length. It is preferable to have a vertical dimension.

Next, a method for assembling the steering wheel 1 according to the present embodiment will be specifically described.
First, the shaft portion 52 of each engagement pin 5 is inserted into the coil spring 6, and the coil spring 6 is held on the engagement pin 5. At this time, since the first shaft portion 52 a of the engaging pin 5 has an outer diameter that is substantially the same as or smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring 6, the coil spring 6 is connected to the shaft portion 52 of the engaging pin 5. And can be stably held on the same axis.

  Subsequently, the engaging pin 5 holding the coil spring 6 is inserted into the through hole 23 of the steering wheel body 2 from the front side of the boss portion 20b, and one end of the coil spring 6 is inserted into the first inner diameter portion 23a of the through hole 23. Insert. At this time, since the lower end portion of the second shaft portion 52b of the engaging pin 5 is bifurcated, each lower end portion of the second shaft portion 52b is easily elastically deformed inward. However, the engaging portion 53 of the engaging pin 5 can be inserted into the second inner diameter portion 23b of the through hole 23 and allowed to pass therethrough.

  Then, after the engaging portion 53 of the engaging pin 5 passes through the second inner diameter portion 23b of the through hole 23, the lower end portion of the second shaft portion 52b is elastically restored, and the engaging portion 53 of the engaging pin 5 is The through hole 23 is engaged with the step surface 23e between the second inner diameter portion 23b and the third inner diameter portion 23c. At this time, the coil spring 6 has a stepped surface 23d formed between the first inner diameter portion 23a and the second inner diameter portion 23b in the through hole 23 and the lower surface (back surface) of the support portion 51 in the engagement pin 5. It is sandwiched in a compressed state.

  As a result, the support portion 51 of the engagement pin 5 is biased upward by the coil spring 6, so that the engagement portion 53 of the engagement pin 5 is securely engaged with the step surface 23 e of the through hole 23. The engaging pin 5 is held in a state of being temporarily fixed to the through hole 23. The operation of temporarily fixing the engaging pin 5 to the through hole 23 in this way is performed for each of the three engaging pins 5.

  Thus, by temporarily fixing the engaging pin 5 holding the coil spring 6 to the boss portion 20b of the steering wheel body 2, the coil spring 6 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction during the assembly operation of the steering wheel 1. It is possible to prevent the coil spring 6 from being tilted or falling off the steering wheel body 2. Here, the length dimension of the coil spring 6 when the engaging pin 5 is temporarily fixed to the through hole 23 and the coil spring 6 is compressed is defined as a first set length L1.

  Moreover, the process of assembling the airbag module 3 is performed separately from the process of temporarily fixing the engaging pins 5 as described above. In order to assemble the airbag module 3, first, a ring retainer is attached to the periphery of the opening of the airbag body, and the airbag body is folded according to a predetermined procedure. Subsequently, the base plate 31 and the inflator 32 are attached and fixed to a ring retainer attached to the airbag body.

  Thereafter, the peripheral wall 33a of the module cover 33 is inserted into the insertion groove 31f of the base plate 31, the module cover 33 is engaged with the base plate 31, and the wire 31c is held on the lower surface (back surface) side of the base plate 31. Thereby, the airbag module 3 as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 can be obtained.

  Then, as described above, the engaging pin 5 is temporarily fixed to the through hole 23 of the steering wheel main body 2, and after the airbag module 3 is assembled, the airbag module 3 is assembled from the upper surface side of the steering wheel main body 2. . Specifically, first, the airbag module 3 is introduced from the upper surface side of the steering wheel body 2, and the airbag module 3 is placed on the support portion 51 of the engaging pin 5.

  At this time, the positioning convex portion 31j formed on the lower surface of the base plate 31 of the airbag module 3 is fitted into the positioning concave portion 51a formed on the upper surface of the support portion 51 of the engaging pin 5, thereby causing the airbag module 3 to have a predetermined shape. Can be stably set in position.

  Subsequently, the airbag module 3 placed on the engaging pin 5 is pressed from the upper surface side, and the airbag module 3 is pushed downward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the hook portion 24 arranged on the steering wheel body 2 is hooked on the wire 31c held on the back surface side of the base plate 31 to lock the wire 31c. Can be directly assembled to the steering wheel body 2.

  In addition, each engagement pin 5 is sandwiched between the support portion 51 of the engagement pin 5 and the boss portion 20b because it is pushed deeply downward by the airbag module 3 when the airbag module 3 is assembled. The coil spring 6 is held in a further compressed state. At this time, since the engagement state between the engagement portion 53 of the engagement pin 5 and the stepped surface of the through hole 23 is released, the airbag module 3 assembled to the steering wheel body 2 is predetermined by the coil spring 6. It is held by the hook portion 24 in a state of being urged by the force of. Further, the fixed contact 25 disposed on the steering wheel body 2 and the movable contact 31k disposed on the airbag module 3 are in a state of being separated from each other by a predetermined distance.

  Here, the length dimension of the compressed coil spring 6 in the state where the airbag module 3 is assembled is defined as a second set length L2 shorter than the first set length L1. Further, as will be described later, when the airbag module 3 is removed from the steering wheel body 2, a length dimension of a stroke required to push up the airbag module 3 by the biasing force of the coil spring 6 is defined as L3. In this case, the second set length L2 in the present embodiment is set to satisfy the relationship L2 = L1-L3.

  Then, after the airbag module 3 is assembled to the steering wheel main body 2 in a state of being urged by the coil spring 6 with a predetermined force, the lower cover 4 is attached to the lower surface side of the steering wheel main body 2, The steering wheel 1 according to the present embodiment can be assembled.

  In the steering wheel 1 thus obtained, the airbag module 3 is pressed from the upper surface side and pushed downward, whereby the coil spring 6 is further compressed than the second set length L2, and the steering wheel main body is also compressed. Since the fixed contact 25 arranged in 2 and the movable contact 31k arranged in the airbag module 3 come into contact with each other, the circuit of the horn switch mechanism can be closed and the horn can be operated.

  Thereafter, when the pressure on the airbag module 3 is released, the coil spring 6 returns to the second set length L2, and the airbag module 3 is urged by the coil spring 6 to return to the original position. And the movable contact 31k are separated from each other, so that the horn can be stopped.

  Further, for example, when the airbag module 3 is activated and the airbag body is inflated and deployed, it is necessary to remove and replace the activated airbag module 3 from the steering wheel body 2 thereafter. In this case, for example, by using a screwdriver or the like to push inward each wire 31c portion locked to the hook portion 24, the wire 31c is unlocked by the hook portion 24, and the steering wheel body 2 and the assembly state of the airbag module 3 are released.

  As a result, the coil spring 6 extends from the second set length L2 to the first set length L1, and the airbag module 3 is urged by the coil spring 6 to move upward by the stroke length of the aforementioned L3. Pushed up.

  Since the airbag module 3 pushed up by the coil spring 6 is simply placed on the support portion 51 of the engagement pin 5, the steering wheel body is lifted by lifting the airbag module 3. 2 can be easily removed. Thereafter, by placing the new airbag module 3 on the support portion 51 of the engaging pin 5 and pushing it downward, the airbag module 3 can be assembled with one touch as described above. For this reason, the airbag module 3 can be easily replaced.

  As described above, the steering wheel 1 according to the present embodiment can be assembled without using a movable plate and a connecting member that are arranged in the conventional steering wheel 1, so that the number of components is reduced compared to the conventional one. Can be made. As a result, the cost of parts can be reduced.

  Further, when assembling the steering wheel 1, the engaging pin 5 is engaged with the steering wheel main body 2, and then the airbag module 3 is placed on the support portion 51 of the engaging pin 5 and pushed into the air. Since the bag module 3 can be directly assembled to the steering wheel body 2 with one touch, the assembling operation can be performed more easily and easily than in the past. Therefore, the steering wheel 1 can be provided at a lower cost than the conventional one with a significant reduction in manufacturing cost.

In the above embodiment, the assembly means for assembling the airbag module 3 to the steering wheel main body 2 is attached to the hook portion 24 provided on the steering wheel main body 2 and the base plate 31 of the airbag module 3 as described above. Wire 31c. However, the assembling means in the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment.
For example, it is possible to configure the assembling means by attaching a wire made of a spring wire to the steering wheel body 2 and providing a hook portion on the base plate 31 of the airbag module 3.

  In addition, for example, it is possible to employ a means for assembling the airbag module and the steering wheel body by fixing them with bolts. In this case, when removing the airbag module after assembling the steering wheel, it is easy to remove the bolts that secure the airbag module and the steering wheel body without pushing up the airbag module with the coil spring. It can be removed.

  For this reason, when the steering wheel is assembled, when the engaging pin is engaged with the through hole of the steering wheel body, the coil spring held by the engaging pin is compressed to the second set length L2. The air bag module may be placed on the support portion of the engaging pin and then fixed with a bolt. As a result, the steering wheel can be easily and easily assembled.

  Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 according to the above-described embodiment, in order to position the airbag module 3 assembled to the steering wheel body 2, a positioning recess 51 a is formed on the upper surface of the support portion 51 in the engaging pin 5, and the airbag A positioning convex portion 31 j is formed on the back surface of the base plate 31 in the module 3. However, in the present invention, as a means for positioning the airbag module 3, a positioning convex portion is formed on the upper surface of the support portion of the engaging pin, and a positioning concave portion is formed on the back surface of the base plate in the airbag module. It is also possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 2 Steering wheel main body 3 Airbag module 4 Lower cover 5 Engaging pin 6 Coil spring 20a Rim part 20b Boss part 20c Spoke part 21a Core metal 21b Skin part 22 Fitting part 23 Through-hole 23a 1st inner diameter part 23b 2nd Inner diameter part 23c Third inner diameter part 23d, 23e Stepped surface 24 Hook part 24a Base end part 24b Standing part 24c Bending part 25 Fixed contact 31 Base plate 31a Substrate part 31b Peripheral part 31c Wire 31d Inflator insertion hole 31e Bolt insertion hole 31f Insertion groove 31g Engaging claw part 31h Wire holding part 31i Housing hole 31j Positioning convex part 31k Movable contact 32 Inflator 33 Module cover 33a Peripheral wall part 33b Claw hole part 51 Support part 51a Positioning concave part 52 Shaft part 52 a First shaft portion 52b Second shaft portion 53 Engagement portion

Claims (4)

A steering wheel body (2) having a fixed contact (25), an airbag module (3) arranged to be movable toward and away from the fixed contact (25), and the airbag module (3). A coil spring (6) urged in a direction away from the fixed contact (25), and a movable contact (31k) disposed on the airbag module (3) side against the urge of the coil spring (6) ) And a horn switch mechanism that operates a horn when the fixed contact (25) is contacted,
At least one engagement pin (5) that holds the coil spring (6) and is movably engaged with the steering wheel body (2) so as to be movable in the contact / separation direction; the steering wheel body (2); An assembly means capable of directly assembling the airbag module (3),
The engaging pin (5) is suspended from the support portion (51) and the support portion (51) for supporting the airbag module (3) from the back side, and is inserted into the coil spring (6). A shaft portion (52), and an engaging portion (53) that is formed at the tip of the shaft portion (52) and engages with the steering wheel body (2).
A steering wheel characterized by that.   The assembly means includes a spring wire (31c) attached to one member of the airbag module (3) and the steering wheel body (2), and the spring wire rod integrated with the other member. The steering wheel according to claim 1, comprising a hook portion (24) that can be locked to (31c). A concave portion (51a) or a convex portion for positioning the airbag module (3) is disposed on a support surface of the support portion (51) in the engagement pin (5),
On the back surface of the airbag module (3), a convex portion (31j) or a concave portion that fits the concave portion (51a) or the convex portion of the support portion (51) is disposed.
The steering wheel according to claim 1 or 2.   The steering wheel according to claim 3, wherein the concave portion (51a) or the convex portion of the support portion (51) in the engaging pin (5) is arranged coaxially with the shaft portion (52).

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